Currently have an analog PBX - a Toshiba Strata DK424 system - phones are mostly Toshiba DKT2020-SD, plus some of the 10 button models. Biggest problem is maintenance - all phones are programmed via a wall console phone - and it's a nightmare to do. The documentation had been written 15 years ago and it was created for trained techs. What should be incredibly simple tasks become an incredible since every attempt to program it incorrectly is also an opportunity for fate to knock the other programming for the units. I end up calling in a tech - who lives 2 hours away and cannot always justify the trip so he'll wait till he has a number of calls within the area. So when he does finally show up -he's in a rush to get to all his other clients in the area and everytime he leaves, someone discovers that was either not done - or not done properly - which will not be addressed until we can get him to return again.

So, our contract ends at the beginning of next year and I'm looking into replacing.

First vendor - Flexip Solutions Inc. - offering a Hosted PBX via VoIP - we would need to replace the current phones with Aastra 6757i. Our dataline is via Cogent and we have 100Mbps. They offer G729 vocal codexing, but I insisted on G711 - we can't risk the QoS. He said he could deliver G711 at 84Kbps and I figure that our staff is currently at about 35 - 40 (lot of turnover) so in the worst case scenario - we could have 65 - 80 calls simlutaneously -. comes to 6.72Mbps. They say they will install an Edgemaster Smart Router which will prioritize traffic - voice before data.

Their suggested DR redundancy was to add a TimeWarner Cable feed to the EdgemASTER Smart router as well so if the Cogent should ever blink out, the smart routers at the call center would automatically reroute all communications through the Time Warner Cable feed IP.

What I was looking for originally - an XML utility connected to the Call Center through which I can manage all the phone units immediately and not have to deal with a technician. I have yet to see it. Also have a soft phone utility that can be downloaded to smartphones and allow calls to go through via data signal.

I have an interview with the technology specialist scheduled in two weeks -

Does anyone have experience with this company? Any good experiences? Bad experiences? Any issues you can pinpoint with the setup - (as vague as it is, I'll have more specifics later). Can anybody suggest any difficult DR scenarios for which I might ask the tech specialist how they would be prepared to handle?

What kind of service fees can I expect? Equipment Maintenance Heavy or low?

Currently have an analog PBX - a Toshiba Strata DK424 system - phones are mostly Toshiba DKT2020-SD, plus some of the 10 button models. Biggest problem is maintenance - all phones are programmed via a wall console phone - and it's a nightmare to do. The documentation had been written 15 years ago and it was created for trained techs. What should be incredibly simple tasks become an incredible since every attempt to program it incorrectly is also an opportunity for fate to knock the other programming for the units. I end up calling in a tech - who lives 2 hours away and cannot always justify the trip so he'll wait till he has a number of calls within the area. So when he does finally show up -he's in a rush to get to all his other clients in the area and everytime he leaves, someone discovers that was either not done - or not done properly - which will not be addressed until we can get him to return again.

So, our contract ends at the beginning of next year and I'm looking into replacing.

First vendor - Flexip Solutions Inc. - offering a Hosted PBX via VoIP - we would need to replace the current phones with Aastra 6757i. Our dataline is via Cogent and we have 100Mbps. They offer G729 vocal codexing, but I insisted on G711 - we can't risk the QoS. He said he could deliver G711 at 84Kbps and I figure that our staff is currently at about 35 - 40 (lot of turnover) so in the worst case scenario - we could have 65 - 80 calls simlutaneously -. comes to 6.72Mbps. They say they will install an Edgemaster Smart Router which will prioritize traffic - voice before data.

Their suggested DR redundancy was to add a TimeWarner Cable feed to the EdgemASTER Smart router as well so if the Cogent should ever blink out, the smart routers at the call center would automatically reroute all communications through the Time Warner Cable feed IP.

What I was looking for originally - an XML utility connected to the Call Center through which I can manage all the phone units immediately and not have to deal with a technician. I have yet to see it. Also have a soft phone utility that can be downloaded to smartphones and allow calls to go through via data signal.

I have an interview with the technology specialist scheduled in two weeks -

Does anyone have experience with this company? Any good experiences? Bad experiences? Any issues you can pinpoint with the setup - (as vague as it is, I'll have more specifics later). Can anybody suggest any difficult DR scenarios for which I might ask the tech specialist how they would be prepared to handle?

What kind of service fees can I expect? Equipment Maintenance Heavy or low?

Thanks for any information that you might be able to provide.

Although I don't have an answer for you, I just wanted you to know I feel your pain. We have an old NEC Electra Elite 192 system. Just changing someone's name on the display takes enough button pushing to wear the fingerprints off my fingers. That is, if I can still read the instructions that look like they were printed off the first printer prototype.

Unfortunately, as far as cabling goes, my predecessor used two pairs for data so he could run the others back for voice, and I'm still finding 4 port switches everywhere. So, VOIP would have some major added costs.

We're running Avaya here and we like it. I dunno about the bandwidth specs, but the back end is a program we access on the server (a Xen VM) to make any necessary changes. I would definitely look around and see what else is available before you replace what is (at the moment at least) a working system. I don't know what your budget is, and maybe that's another consideration (oddly it usually is :-) but I would not go with the first guy without at least seeing what else is out there. I know some other guys are running some Nortel stuff and while they don't think it's great, the price is good and it's easier to maintain than what you're currently running. I hope someone else on here has more experience with other systems and can offer you what they're running to compare what your first bid has suggested. See if there are any other vendors in the area that can spec out a system for you. I like the idea of having a second pipeline for DR, that's something we don't currently have (and probably should).

It sounds like you are doing several things here, and I don't have an indication if that is your intention or you only need to replace your phone system.

1 - you are replacing your phones to improve managability

2 - you are changing from traditional phone lines (POTS or Digital) to VoIP service

3 - you are moving to outsource your phone "switch"

If you only need #1, consider astrisk or others. I recently switched a location's key system to Cisco UC500 series still using their POTS for service. Cisco has come down in price on their systems and I fully manage it remotely.

@Panda (was w bold): I have heard of Asterisk. However, I have little or no Linux experience - I would require a lot of time to understand it to the point where I can install it and manage it on my own.

Also - the website is charging for training and there is no way the owners of the business or going to pay for training me in order that I'd be able to evaluate whether Asterisk is the way we would like to go.

Are there any free learning avenues for Asterisk? How difficult is it to learn and manage? I have about a four month window before I'd have to make a decision on what to recommend. Would that be feasible?

Please take a look at 3CX. It is Windows based and is hosted on site. pretty easy to work with and has a TON of features. I use it along with SIP over T1 and Cisco SPA509g phones I have set up remote extensions at my home and a remote office and the three locations can transfer calls as if they were in the same building. Works great.It also has a softphone as you requested. Incoming calls can be routed to cell phones in various scenarios. Digital receptionist, voicemail, music on hold all built-in. Bang for the buck I couldn't find anything better.

@Panda (was w bold): I have heard of Asterisk. However, I have little or no Linux experience - I would require a lot of time to understand it to the point where I can install it and manage it on my own.

Also - the website is charging for training and there is no way the owners of the business or going to pay for training me in order that I'd be able to evaluate whether Asterisk is the way we would like to go.

Are there any free learning avenues for Asterisk? How difficult is it to learn and manage? I have about a four month window before I'd have to make a decision on what to recommend. Would that be feasible?

Thanks for your suggestion.

Even experienced Linux admins don't "just run Asterisk." They get an appliance like Elastix that puts everythingn together for you and pretty much eliminates the need to know anything about Linux (not completely, but mostly.) It is a single installer that does the whole thing.

But with no Linux experience, 3CX is probably a good idea. Check out CudaTel as well.

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